Cadillac’s New Wireless Charging Probably Won’t Work on Your Phone

Now that Cadillac is putting 4G LTE in its cars, it makes sense to offer an equally advanced phone charging solution, one that doesn’t depend on wires that get tangled and in the way. So GM’s luxury arm announced Monday that its customers will soon be able to charge their phones just by putting them on a rubber pad tucked behind the car’s instrument panel. Problem is, the current system is readily compatible with only a handful of phones.

Wireless charging helps Cadillac in the race among luxury automakers to offer “conveniences that have quickly become essential customer needs,” in the words of ATS global product manger Ken Kornas. So starting with the 2015 ATS coupe and sedan, Cadillac will offer Powermat, Powermat, a wireless charging system backed by Duracell (and Jay-Z). It’s easy to use: Just put your device on the small pad and let it charge. Unfortunately, no actual phones on the market have integrated Powermat compatibility, so if you want to charge your iPhone 5s in your new Caddy, you need to throw down $120 for a special case to make it happen. (The case comes with an integrated backup 2,000 mAh reserve battery, if that helps you get over the price and weight.)

Powermat says it’s like Wi-Fi, “which was once an accessory but is now built-in and widely available.” Translation: Eventually it’ll be built into your phone, but not yet. For now, you need the case, though if you’re buying a $33,000 Caddillac ATS, $120 probably won’t worry you.

The good news is Cadillac isn’t in an exclusive relationship with Powermat. Its charging pad will also work with Qi, a competing wireless charging protocol that’s already built into a handful of phones, including the Nokia Lumia 920, Motorola Droid Maxx, and HTC Windows 8X. “The language on our site is tilted towards Powermat,” says Cadillac rep David Caldwell, but “we wanted to make sure we didn’t lock out other people.” By supporting the two major wireless charging systems in service today, Cadillac has future-proofed itself.

The feature will be offered in the CTS sedan this fall, and the Escalade at the end of the year. It’s barely ahead of its competitors: The 2015 Lexus NX will have an optional charging pad under its center armrest, running Qi.

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